As GM has been reporting, Georgetown is on the list to receive a couple Capital Bikeshare stations. We weren’t, however, among the first neighborhoods to get the stations when they started up in September.

But the wait should be over next week. DDOT confirmed to GM that the K St. station should be installed early next week. It will go in the parking lane in front of the House of Sweden at K and 29th.

The second station on Wisconsin just below the canal should be installed the week after.

The location of the third station is still up in the air. As GM’s discussed, the potential location has bounced around. The latest idea GM heard was possibly in front of Trinity School at 36th and N. Of course, any location will need to be approved by the Old Georgetown Board, which means the soonest a station could be installed in November.

A fourth station is planned to go in front of Hardy School.

GM has been lobbying heavily for two more stations at Rose Park and Montrose Park. Where else would you like to see one?

12 responses to “Capital Bikeshare Arrives Next Week”

I’ve already been using CaBi (just as far as Dupont, though, given the options) and I think it’s a huge boon for getting around the city. As for potential new stations.

In addition to a station (or two) on Georgetown’s campus, I think that having bike-share stations at Rose, Montrose and Volta parks would really tie the neighborhood together, as well as one at Duke Ellington. Additionally a station on either end of M Street (near the Lukoil, and one near the Key Bridge) and one part-way up Wisconsin, like in the CVS parking lot, would really make it a local transportation solution.

Obviously, this many stations wouldn’t be feasible in the first phase of CaBi, but if the TIGER grant goes through, these would be logical expansions for phase 2.

Hopefully, by that time the first phase will have been able to ease some neighborhood concerns about noise, etc., that I think are somewhat exaggerated.

Perhaps someone should start an online petition for CaBi stations in the neighborhood in Georgetown on each side of Wisconsin. Some ANC commissioners think that residents won’t be big users of CaBi, and this could change that perception.

Did DDOT say when stations in other parts of town are on the list for installation? I love my soviet safeway station, and am looking forward to the G’town ones, but I’m really curious about the downtown stations. Once those go in, I figure we’ll learn pretty quickly whether Yonah Freemark’s (thetransportpolitic) prediction RE monocentric commuting patterns proves true. Save Lincoln Park and the 4th G’town location, they’ll all be in by late October anyway, I guess.

@Steven
My guess is that many of the downtown stations (particularly some of those replacing SmartBike stations) will probably be installed later in October, as DDOT has mentioned they would keep SmartBike running for about a month from the 9/20 opening of CaBi.

Just where the hell are you going to maneuver a bike in Georgetown without getting killed? I’ve seen cars knock down bikeriders, then back up and run over the bikes in Georgetown. Bikeshare could be suicide to the naive tourist thinking he can peddle about Town without a worry. This ain’t the boardwalk at Rehoboth!

Agree wholeheartedly that Rose, Volta, and Montrose should get CaBi stations. Under the current configuration, you’re largely cut off from the CaBi network if you’re two blocks off Wisconsin in the East or West Village. A neighborhood petition is a great idea.

I’m also interested in hearing more about the opposition. I would imagine the stations could be positioned so as not to mar the sight lines in the parks. And the bikes would hopefully reduce the number of cars circling Avon, Dent, and Cambridge on weekends looking for a choice parking spot.

One near the Ukranian Embassy or in Francis Scott Key Park—anywhere just across the bridge—would be lovely. Eventually it will be possible to ride from Rosslyn, and I’d rather drop off my bike there than haggle with M Street traffic. Georgetown University could use one too, I’m sure. I remember there being a location proposed for the Car Barn, but there might have been some objections to that. I can’t imagine why.

By bike is the only way I will go to or through Georgetown — the traffic congestion makes it safe to ride on just about any of the streets, and M is an especially good route. Wisconsin is not really a problem, either, until you get pretty far to the north. I used CaBi to get from 17th and L to Pizzeria Paradiso to meet a friend for lunch on Thursday — it was no problem, but I had to pay to have the bike out for more than half an hour because there are no Georgetown stations yet. Even with the excess time charge, though, it’s a lot cheaper than a taxi (but you have to bring a lock with you, in addition to a helmet).

As for bike station locations, how about putting one at Washington Harbor in the 3000 block of K Street? That would attract people who want to bike from downtown to the restaurants on the waterfront (in addition to people who live and work in Georgetown to the north, assuming they have access to a bike station in their vicinity as well).